Simple
by teamginger
Summary: Natasha and Steve get sent on a mission that they feel is rather beneath them, but still manage to have a good time.
1. Eligibility

"It's pretty simple," explains Director Coulson, sliding the folder towards Natasha and Steve across the glass table. Natasha takes the folder and flips through the pages idly. "You just have to go in, get the information, and get out. If I give you guys three days, do you think you can do it?"

Steve glances at Natasha for approval, but he knows that she is more than capable of filling out the task.

"It's workable," she says finally, and Coulson smiles a little bit. "You said it's in Australia?"

"Yes. Is that a problem, Agent Romanoff?" he asks, folding his hands together in front of him. Now it's her turn to look to Steve for approval.

"Shouldn't be," she says confidently, leaning back in her chair.

"Great. Get what you need- you'll be leaving in a few hours," says Coulson, promptly exiting the room, leaving Steve and Natasha to themselves.

"You ever been there? Australia?" asks Steve, simply looking to keep the conversation rolling.

"No," says Natasha in a nonchalant tone of voice that assures Steve that it wouldn't be an issue. He doesn't bring it up again, and they go their separate ways to get their things organized. For Steve, that meant dragging his duffel bag out from under the bed and tossing his casual clothes in there, since they would be going undercover as tourists, as decided by Natasha earlier.

He glances over at where his shield leans up against the wall. The only reason that he was even assigned on this mission in the first place was to cover Natasha. It might've been smarter to send a lower level agent, like Rumlow, but Coulson had been aware of how well Natasha worked with Steve around for a while now, so whenever Natasha goes into a potentially dangerous situation, Steve is put right there beside her. Unfortunately, that includes going under cover often, which means that the shield is often left behind. He hates the idea of potentially going into combat without it, but carrying it around would make them stick out like a sore thumb.

The plane is flown by someone who Steve doesn't recognize. The man is so absorbed in whatever he is doing that he can only grunt a greeting, and doesn't say much else for the rest of the flight. Natasha on the other hand, is adamant on laying out the plan once again, mostly for her own confidence. Steve only makes a few interjections, but the plan is solid. The hard drive is located in a building commonly known as the "Complaining Tower", because of all the complaints filed about the company that owns the place. Natasha and Steve would make an appointment to meet with the CEO of the company, and while meeting with him, steal the hard drive and leave.

It couldn't be simpler.


	2. Stormy Skies

When they arrive in Australia, the pilot drops them at an obscure location to maintain confidentiality, which is unfortunate, because the sky threatens to let hell loose at any second. While Steve is concerned about this, Natasha seems unfazed by it. Like a gun, she's locked and loaded, and won't rest until her mission is complete. Steve admired her determination, but wished she would listen to the voice of reason and figure out where exactly they were headed.

The thing about Natasha is that she's extremely competitive, even if she tries to hide it. And she's good at hiding it too. But after working with her in the field for months, Steve noticed that she was always the most driven when her mission was presented as a challenge. She loved to prove people wrong. Which is why, when Coulson asked her to complete the mission in three days, she had already decided she would finish it in two.

"We should call a cab," says Steve, eyeing the gloomy sky nervously. There's a flicker of lightning somewhere on the horizon. "This doesn't look so good."

"Okay, fine, call a cab," she says, looking flustered. She crosses her arms and cocks her leg impatiently, watching him fumble around with his phone for a while, before she loses her patience and dials the number for him. He casts her a look, and explains their "situation" to the taxi service. According to Steve, they had planned on taking a hike today, but had gotten terribly lost and needed a ride back to the city.

And sure enough, the cab driver had believed it. After being informed that the drive into the city was a long one, Natasha curls into Steve's side, and he puts his arm around her. He knows she's only pretending that they're some love-sick couple, but sometimes he likes to think that some of it is real. She doesn't quite fall asleep, but she's subdued enough that he almost forgets that she's on a warpath to "win" some competition that she's made up in her mind.

They pay the cab driver, leaving a reasonable tip, and check into the hotel room that Coulson had booked for the two of them. The hotel isn't the nicest, but they had both stayed in worse before. When they enter the room, the first thing that Steve notices is that there's only one bed.

"At ease, Rogers, I don't hog the sheets," says Natasha in a coy tone. "I'm going to take a shower."

Steve sets his bag on the floor near the couch, when Natasha emerges, wrapped in only a towel, but with no sign of having showered.

"There's a giant spider sitting at the bottom of the shower. I'm not going in there again," she says, holding the towel secure with one hand, while the other rummages through her bag for a pair of sweats and a hoodie. Unable to find hers, she has Steve lend her his sweat shirt. "Wait, were you planning on sleeping on the couch?"

Steve shrugged. Of course he was going to- he would never sleep with a woman unless he was married. But he had bent that rule with Natasha before, so what was different about now? They had been working together for months, and had formed a close relationship while still maintaining their professionalism. They both repressed their true feelings for one another, in fear that it would create weakness. But, would it truly? Steve's feelings for Natasha wouldn't be altered in the slightest if they did commit to each other. As long as they were working together, she would be his weakness. He could never let anything happen to her, even if it meant losing himself in the process. He couldn't help but wonder if she felt the same.

"Come on, live a little," she urges, drawing his attention back to the present. He sighs, and moves to the bed in just a few sluggish steps. "Gee, don't act so enthusiastic- I'd think that you'd want to sleep with me or something."

"I'm just tired," he says. They had been on the plane for hours, and it was just barely midnight in the time-zone that he was accustomed to. Natasha seems to understand that, and softens down a little, sliding under the covers beside Steve.

"Steve, can I ask you something?" she asks after a period of silence, rolling onto her side so she can face him. Her words induce panic inside Steve, but he suppresses it.

"Yeah, what is it?" he says. She stares at him for a while before continuing, and he wonders what she thinks about. He wonders what it's like to have a mind as busy as hers, constantly analyzing and working, never still.

"How many spiders do you think are in this room right now?" she asks. Steve rolls his eyes. "What? Did you think I was going to gush about feelings or something?"

"Well, usually when people want to know how many spiders are in a room, they don't start off by looking all vulnerable and emotional," he says, unable to keep the corner of his lips from curling into a smirk. He catches a glint of playfulness in Natasha's green eyes.

"That's my job, Rogers," she reminds him, scooting a little closer. "But if you want to get vulnerable and emotional, go ahead."

He's silent for a minute, his mind a whirlwind. Natasha's eyes never leave him, and he knows she's evaluating him, reading him like he were a book. He has to make a decision quickly.

"I like you a lot," he says, the words stumbling out of his mouth, as if by some uncontrolled force. He forces himself to meet her eyes, and finds it difficult to get a read on her.

"Get some rest, Steve," she says in a softer tone, and just as he's about to feel as if his words were in vain, she gently kisses his forehead before snuggling further beneath the covers.


	3. Raspberries

When he wakes up, Natasha is curled into him, and his arm drapes over her shoulders. He lifts his head a little, and notices that she's also awake. She turns her head around to look at him, and he lifts his arm up so she can get free. But she stays put, and gives him the slightest smile.

"You ready to finish this mission?" she asks, but he knows he doesn't have a choice. This is more her mission than his- he just has to make sure that she doesn't get killed in the process.

"Sure thing," he says, about to roll out of bed, when he notices a giant hairy spider sitting on the floor beside the bed. "Uh, add another spider to the count."

Natasha leans over, wrinkling her nose in disgust upon sight of the creature. "Just go around it."

They get cleaned up, and take another cab to the Complaining Tower. Natasha had already booked an appointment with the CEO, Walter Douglad, so getting to his office was easy enough. In the elevator, she quickly briefs Steve on what to expect.

"Hello, Mrs. Rushman!" says Walter as they walk into the office. He wears a charcoal grey suit, with a raspberry tie that catches Steve's eye. "Oh, and you must be Mr. Rushman," he adds quickly, turning to Steve, who just nods, sticking his hands in his pockets as the CEO guides them to their seats in front of his desk, where Steve immediately eyes the hard drive, sitting atop the computer monitor.

"So, you had a complaint, I'm guessing?" Walter asks, grinning to reveal a row of unflawed teeth. Steve smiles back, but again, allows Natasha to take the stage. She grins, laughing at the little joke. "Oh, pardon me, can I get you anything? Water? Wine?"

"Some red would be nice," says Steve, catching on.

"Oh, yes, I'll have some as well," says Natasha, and Walter gets up and exits the room. Natasha wastes no time in retrieving the drive, and rushes out of the room, followed closely by Steve. Walter notices, and calls after them, but they're already in the elevator, heading down to the lobby. Pulling out her phone, Natasha quickly texts their pilot, demanding to be picked up immediately. When they look for a cab, they see the typical, black van with the SHIELD logo embellished on the side. The "pilot" wastes no time on waiting for them to get settled, stepping on the gas before they even have a chance to sit down. Glancing out the window, Steve sees Walter shouting after them and pointing at their van, flanked by two security guards, but it's too late for them.


End file.
